


Not Alone Tonight

by nazgularepeopletoo



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Abernathy has it bad, Evidence of Abuse, Fluff, M/M, MACUSA | Magical Congress of the United States of America, Slight psychological trama, Tina ships it tbh, this is cute though?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-10-14 16:35:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10540332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nazgularepeopletoo/pseuds/nazgularepeopletoo
Summary: Percival Graves was found in a hole in the wall, and needed time to recover. Abernathy is impatient and worried, but feels guilty and wants to make everything up to him. He wants to keep him safe.





	

                No one was allowed to see Graves for a good two weeks after they found him. Eventually, the doctors stopped allowing people even in the waiting room because someone had come in every single day asking if he was available for visitors. They sent a message to MACUSA saying that they would be informed when the Director was well enough. President Picquery was annoyed at that, and demanded to know who had been bugging the doctors.

                That someone was Abernathy, Director of Wand Permits and Registration, who just so happened to have the biggest crush on the Director of Magical Security Percival Graves. It sounded like an important position but honestly, most of MACUSA forgot about them, hidden as they were in the basement. He liked to _think_ he was important; it made the job more bearable. He acted busy most of the time, keeping his head down. Which is why he hadn’t noticed that his own boss had been acting different for the past few months.

                Well, he had noticed, but he didn’t think it was _that_ big of a change, so he hadn’t said anything. No one would have believed him anyway, he told himself. But he still felt so guilty. Guilty enough that he had stolen Graves’ wand from Tina’s desk (she knew who took it) and wanted to give it to him personally. Also, any opportunity to speak with Graves was a blessing, even though he hadn’t seemed to care much about him before this whole mess. But he was one of the members of MACUSA who actually knew his name who wasn’t working directly under him, which was a plus. Probably.

                The minute that he heard the news that Graves was accepting visitors, he shoved the reports he was working on into his desk and darted out of the office towards the hospital wing. Before he could get there, however, a voice called his name. It was Tina.

                “Mr. Abernathy!” He froze, making a face before turning around reluctantly to face her. She smiled, walking over to him. “Did you finish those reports I asked for?” He had never had a good poker face, and today was no exception.

                “Um, no… I… didn’t.” She gave him an exasperated yet fond look, reaching out to turn him around and push him back towards his office.

                “Finish those. I need them by the end of the day.” He nodded, slumping a little bit. 

                “Yes, ma’am.” She shook her head at his back.

                “Once you’re done, you can go visit him. I’ll let them know you’re coming.” Abernathy blushed, staring at the ground.

                “Thank you, ma’am.” He moved quickly back to his desk, finishing the reports in record time, though they might not have been filled out as well as they should have been. He was probably going to be reprimanded for that later but he _really wanted to see Graves_. It was actually lucky that Tina had sent him back, as he had forgotten to grab Graves’ wand in his haste before. Tucking it into the wand pocket sewn into his jacket right next to his own, he went to Tina’s office, knocking once before entering to place the reports on her desk. She looked up as he entered, raising an eyebrow and taking the forms.

                “Alright, you’re dismissed, Mr. Abernathy. They’re expecting you in the hospital wing. I hear he’s awake.” Abernathy’s eyes widened a little, but he nodded and slipped out of her office. He was awake? Honestly, he hadn’t been expecting that. He had thought, for some reason, that he would still be asleep, or unconscious.

                He slowly made his way to the hospital wing, fidgeting with his sleeve every so often. The doctor’s greeted him with a sigh, recognizing him from before, but they ushered him into the private room where Graves was resting.

                The man was very much awake; sitting up against a stack of pillows and staring at a slip of paper through small rounded glasses perched (adorably) at the tip of his nose. Abernathy’s breath hitched, and he swallowed as the small sound drew the attention of the man on the bed. The man’s dark brown eyes fixated on him, squinting slightly, before he nodded, pulling the glasses off with a wave of his hand.

                “Abernathy.” Graves’ voice was scratchy, as if he hadn’t spoken much. Which he probably hadn’t, he’d been locked in a crate for the past few months.

                “D-director Graves, sir.” He felt a light blush spread across his face. He’d stuttered. He felt like he could look at Graves for hours. This Graves, the real Graves, looked so much more alive, bright, and full of hope and everything that was good in the world. He looked different, and Abernathy was grateful for that.

                “Did you need something?” Abernathy realised he had been standing there in silence just staring for a good three minutes and he blushed a bit harder.

                “I- No I um… I brought your wand, sir. If you want it.” Slowly reaching into his jacket, he gauged Graves’ reaction. The man tensed, but then closed his eyes, relaxing. While he wasn’t looking, Abernathy pulled the wand out of his jacket and held it out, tip pointing away from Graves and towards himself. It took a moment, but Graves finally reached out and took the wand with a shaking hand.

                “Are you alright, sir?” He took a small step closer to the bed, flicking his eyes across the rest of Graves’ body, taking him in. He was wearing a loose, thin short sleeved shirt, and Abernathy could see scars criss-crossing his skin. Wincing despite himself, he moved forward again, resting his gaze on the other man’s face. “Is there anything I can do for you? D-do you need anything?”

                Graves stayed quiet for a moment, staring at a point around Abernathy’s right shoulder and gripping his wand tightly. It was the first time he had held a wand since Grindlewald had taken him. Abruptly, he snapped his eyes up to meet Abernathy’s, staring at him intently. Abernathy swallowed, finding it hard to keep eye contact without blushing again.

                “Will you come here..?” He hadn’t been expecting the Director to say that. He blinked, opening his mouth to speak but not knowing what to say.

                “Sir…?” Graves shifted, finally pulling his eyes away to stare at the bed.

                “I don’t think I can be alone anymore. I’m sorry, you can go.” Abernathy finally wrapped his mind around what Graves was trying to say.

                “No, sir I can… I can stay. I don’t have anything pressing to attend to and I want-“ He cut himself off, busying himself with finding a chair to pull near the side of the bed to hide his blush, close enough to reach but not close enough to be improper. Graves set the paper and his wand aside and slid down to lay against the pillows. After a few moments, he shifted again, turning to face Abernathy.

                “Could you come here?” Abernathy frowned. What could he mean? He was already at the bedside, there wasn’t really any closer except in the bed itself _with_ Graves, and that was just preposterous. Graves moved back in the bed, leaving space for another person. “Please…”

                “Sir I really don’t think that that wo-“

                “ _I can’t be alone._ ” Graves’ voice cracked, and he clutched at the sheets, trying to look like he wasn’t about to cry. He was starting to shake as well. Abernathy scrambled out of the chair, hesitating before shedding his jacket and toeing off his shoes. He carefully slid onto the bed, and immediately Graves was holding him, as if grounding himself and reminding himself that he wasn’t alone. Abernathy took a deep breath, trying to relax as well.

                It didn’t take long for the both of them to fall asleep, and that’s how the doctors and Tina found them, Graves holding Abernathy tightly to him, fast asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I fell headfirst into this ship about 24 hours ago probably and now here we are ;v;


End file.
